bChapter /bb23 /b

bSkye’s /bPOV

This niger

It’s really not a big deal, Adrian said, ‘I’ve received help from many people throughout my life. This was simply bmy /bdwell on it.

His lips curved into a gentle smile as he shrugged, as if donating his precious Alpha blood to aplete stranger

bsomeone /ba sweater.

as no more significant than lending

bBut /bI couldn’t help the emotion welling up inside me. I blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill.

“You’re quite lucky, aren’t you?” Nadia remarked, her lips pursed into a tight line. “Some wolves would give anything for what you received so casually.”

Nadia, Adrian warned, his tone gentle but firm.

Thank you,” I said, looking directly at Adrian. “Truly. If there’s anything I can do to repay you, please tell me.”

Adrian’s expression brightened. “Actually, there is something you could help with,” he said, a hint of mischief entering his voice. “Next weekend is Oasisborn’s two–year anniversary celebration. We could use a skilled bartender for the event.”

Two years?” I asked, curiosity temporarily overriding my emotional state. “The pack is that new?”

Adrian nodded. “We’re still establishing ourselves. Which is why celebrations like this bare /bimportant for pack morale.”

So Oasisborn bwas /bonly two years old–that exined why I’d never heard of it during my time at Frostshadow Pack.

After bing a lone wolf, I’d deliberately bdisconnected /bbmyself /bfrom werewolf bnews /band politicsb, /bfinding it safer to remain ignorant of a world I no longer belonged to.

Relief washed over me as bI /brealized there bwas /bactually something concrete I could do to begin repaying my debt.

I’d be happy to help,” I said, perhaps too eagerly. “In fact, bI /bcould prepare all the drinks for the event, de signature cocktail for the asion.”

a bspecial /bmenub… /bbmaybe /beven create a

“That sounds perfect.“Adrian’s smile widened.

Dr. Chen finished noting something in her tablet before addressing me again. “bYou’re /bclear to leaveb, /bbut I rmend daily shift bpractice /bto help your body adjust to its new capabilities. And no alcohol for at bleast /bbthree /bbdays/bb./bb” /b

I nodded, sliding off the examination tableb. /bbAs /bwe left bthe /bmedical facility, Adrian mentioned that bI /bshould practice shifting again before returning to Boring.

To my surprise, Nadia immediately volunteered.

I’ll take her, she announced, her tone suggesting no room bfor /bargument. “You have that bcall /bwith bthe /bCouncil scheduled in thirty minutes anyway.”

Adrian hesitated, then nodded. Thank you, Nadia. I’ll see you bothterb./b”

As soon as Adrian was out of sight, Nadia led me to a secluded training area surrounded by desert vegetation adapted to the unusual moisture of the oasis. Despite her initially hostile attitude, she proved to be a surprisinglypetent teacher.

“bWomen /bshift differently than men,” she exined as she demonstrated a smooth transformation into her sleek ck wolf. bAfter /bshifting back to human formb, /bshe continuedb: /b“We’re typically smaller in wolf form, which means bwe /bneed different fighting techniques topensate.”

bOver /bthe bnext /bcouple of hours, she taught bme /bspecifically female–orientedbat movesb, /bshowing me how to use my smaller size and greater agility to boutmaneuver /brger bopponents/b.

bAfter /bbwe /bboth bshifted /bback to human form, Nadia scrutinized my body with critical beyes/b, then breached /bout and bsqueezed /bbmy /bbupper /barm bwith /bdissatisfaction.

b“/bbYou’re /bbtoo /bbsoft/bb, /bbshe /bbdered/bb, /bfrowning. b“/bbYour /bbmuscles /bbare /bunderdeveloped. How do you expect bto /bprotect yourself like thisb? /bbYou /bbwon’t /balways bbe /bbso /blucky bto /b

b1/3 /b

bChapter /bb23 /b

bhave /bbsomeone /brescue you when you’re in dangerb./bb” /b

bAnd /bAdrian wouldn’t be interested in someone so weak anyway. She dropped her hand, muttering under her breath.

You like Alpha Adrian, don’t you? 1 asked before I could stop myself.

bNadia /bstiffened, her dark eyes shing with momentary panic before hardening into defensive anger.

“Everyone in Oasisborn likes Adrian,” she snapped. ‘He’s the best Alpha in the world. He saved all of us, gave us a home when we had nowhere else to go.”

There was something endearing about her fierce loyalty, about the way she straightened hef shoulders when speaking of him. Despite her abrasive manner, I found myself warming to her slightly.

‘From now on, she continued, clearly eager to change the subject, “you need to practice every day exactly as I’ve shown you. Understand?b” /b

I nodded solemnly. ‘Yes, my dear teacher.”

To my surprise, her stern expression melted into a satisfied smile, and for a brief moment, I glimpsed the possibility of friendship beneath her prickly

exterior.

By evening, Adrian himself drove me back to Boring.

The journey took a little over two hoursb, /band bwe /bspent most of it infortable silenceb. /basionally he would point out bfeatures /bbof /bthendscape or ask gentle questions about my life, never bpressing /bwhen I gave vague answers.

When we finally pulled up outside The Watering Hole, Jessie was just arriving for her shift. She stopped in her btracks/b, when she bsaw /bbme /bclimbing out of Adrian’s SUV, her eyes widening with undisguised curiosity.

Ill pick you up next Saturday evening,b” /bAdrian said, leaning slightly out of his window. He nodded politely to Jessie before driving away, the bvehicle /bdisappearing into the gathering dusk.fnf2f8 Find the newest release on Find_Novel(./fnf2f8

The moment he was gone, Jessie pounced, grabbing my arm and practically dragging me through the bar’s trance. “We thought you were sickb!/bb” /bshe eximed, her voice pitched higher with excitement. “But you bwere /boff with Mr. Tall–Dark–and–Delicious the whole time!”

She pulled me behind the bar, lowering her bvoice /bconspiratorially. “Spill. Everything. How did you hook up with himb? /bHow far bhave /bbyou /bgone? Did you do it? I need all the juicy detailsb!/bb” /b

“It’s not what you think,” I protested, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. b“/bbI /breally was bsick/b. I just happened to run into him at the clinicb, /bthat’s all. There’s nothing between us.”

Jessie rolled her eyes dramatically. “Oh, pleaseb! /bYou bexpect /bme to believe thatb? /bThe way he looked at byou /bjust now was definitely not nothing.”

“He looks at puppies the same way,” I insisted. “He’s bjust/bb… /bnaturally intenseb./b”

Before Jessie could continue her interrogationb, /bBuck emerged from the back officeb. /bHis weathered bface /blit up at the sight of me, and he pulled me into a bear hug, one hand affectionately ruffling my hair.

“There she is!” he boomed. You don’t know how much we’ve missed you these past few days! The bce /bain’t the same without you.” bHe /bstepped back, bconcern /bbcreasing /bhis brow. b“/bbYou /bfeeling better now, darlin‘? That stomach bug all cleared up?”

The warmth of his wee caught me off guard. I’d never expected to form attachments in this small desert town, had deliberately kept everyone bat /barm’s length. Yet somehow, Buck’s fatherly concern and Jessie’s nosy but well–intentioned interest bhad /bsnuck past my defenses.

Which made what I had to say next all the more difficult.

*bBuck/bb, /bI began hesitantly, “I need to talk to you about something. I took a deep breath, steeling myself. ‘I’m sorry, but I have to give my bnotice/b. bI /bcan work through next Friday, but bafter /bthat… I’ll be leaving.”